The Magic of Emptiness

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Things are entirely what they appear to be and behind them... there is nothing.

Before us is everything but behind everything is nothing substantial (as all is constant change). But everything here is indeed here! And the "nothing" that is behind them is here at the same place and time too.

Everything is same in the sense that all are equally empty. However, everything is distinctly different as they manifest in countless forms. "Everything" also refers to all of one's possession, family, health, wealth, fame, etc.

As in the river analogy, the river is both here and not here in the same place and time. This applies to everything. The whole wide world that we know is "real yet unreal" at the same time. It is the ultimate "magic trick" that the unenlightened fails to see and be amazed at.

Benefits of Realizing Emptiness

Our ignorance is seeing the illusory as being too real where we see the constantly changing as unchanging and become attached to the unsubstantial. Ignorance of not seeing the unreality of the self creates suffering, centering around our false sense of self.

There is no hint of a fixed self in anything physical or mental. There is no "I, you, my, yours..." When self is realized to be empty and unreal, all opposing differences disappear - all are seen just as they are in their naked reality without empty labels, judgments or prejudice.

Being able to apply emptiness in daily life brings unlimited ease and happiness as one becomes free of burden of attachment. Realizing emptiness is to attain the wisdom of selflessness (to see he non-self of everything).

The functioning of selflessness is compassion. Thus, true wisdom is compassionate and true compassion is wise - they are interdependently connected. Both perfection of wisdom and compassion form the twin peaks of spiritual cultivation or enlightenment.

As we familiarize ourselves with emptiness, we gradually open our minds and free ourselves from the bonds of ignorance that misconceives reality. In time, we will eliminate all ignorance, agent, attachment, pride, jealousy and other disturbing attitudes from our mind.

By doing so, we cease to create destructive action motivated by them and we will thus be freed from all problems. In other words, realizing emptiness brings true happiness.

As a summary, a practical application of Emptiness in everyday life would be:

To Treasure Everything (in this moment) as All is Transient,
To Be Unattached to Everything (in this moment) as All is Transient.

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